Articles
3 February 2012

For the Ages

Bringing Generations Together in the Workplace

by Heather Beers

03 February 2012—

 

If a multi-generational workforce could be compared to a concert, the program would include some Louis Armstrong, Elvis, a few riffs from Jimi Hendrix, some Pat Benatar and Madonna, then Bobby Brown and Nirvana, and finally Beyoncé and Kanye. 

Sound a bit unwieldy for one concert? Try addressing the cacophony of needs that comes from having a workforce that represents several generations. Like many businesses, your company may be doing exactly that—striving for harmony among a disparate group of Veterans/Traditionals, Baby Boomers, Generation X and Generation Y/Millennials. 

“Managing generational differences is absolutely an issue for employers,” says Monica Whalen, president and CEO of The Employers Council, a non-profit association in Salt Lake that assists members with human resource management issues. “Among the four distinct generational groups, there is a lot they have in common. But there are also some differences, particularly in perception of authority, comfort level with technology and preferred method of communication. Those are some pretty big fundamental human behavioral characteristics that, if not addressed, can cause tension and misunderstanding within a workgroup.”

Whalen says The Employers Council, which has been providing human resources advice and consultation to Utah companies since 1941, often addresses generational issues. “Employers must accept the diversity of the age continuum and find ways to eliminate barriers of communication,” she says, adding that to accept and leverage generational diversity, you must first understand it. 

Here’s what the experts have to say about the characteristics of each age group, disclaiming, however, that these are wide generalizations, with plenty of variations in the real world.

Veterans/Traditionals

With more people working past the traditional retirement age of 65, many companies benefit from the experience and perspective of Veterans/Traditionals. These are people born between about 1925 and 1945, and they number about 75 million in America, according to a presentation compiled by the Utah Department of Human Resource Management (DHRM) titled, “Recruitment in the Public Workforce.” 

Whalen says Veterans typically value authority, desire stability and tend to be lifelong employees. David J. Cherrington, professor of organizational leadership and strategy at Brigham Young University and author of several books including “Work Ethic: Working Values” and “Values that Work” adds, “Older workers tend to have a sense of the moral importance of work itself. They feel committed to demonstrating pride and craftsmanship in the job.” Similarly, the DHRM presentation concluded that this group “values logic and discipline,” “doesn’t like change” and “wants to build a legacy.”

What makes Traditionals generally share these traits? The experts say it’s helpful to look at the impact of historical events on each group. Veterans were touched by the Great Depression, World War II and the Korean War. “From interviews I conducted, the war time experience had a profound influence on a number of workers,” says Cherrington. “Back then, you didn’t have the government programs you have today. One woman says if it weren’t for her work in the family garden, her family wouldn’t have been able to eat.” That sense of self-reliance and work ethic plays into performance in the workplace.

Life experiences also influence things such as preferred methods of communication and approach to technology. Whalen says Veterans would rather talk or use handwritten messages, rather than electronic communication (e-mail, texting, instant messaging, etc.). And as far as technology is concerned, while some are conversant in computer and mobile technology, Whalen says many are not comfortable with it, and some do not even own a home computer.

 

Baby Boomers

Boomers are the estimated 78 to 83 million Americans who were born between about 1946 and 1964. They are America’s largest demographic, and they are now approaching traditional retirement age (though many will work past that).

“Boomers tend to be focused on competition and bettering their own lot in life,” says Whalen. “They are loyal to opportunity. They expect those in authority to treat them with equal opportunity and fairness. And they have a sense that, ‘If I work hard, I should be rewarded.’” The DHRM presentation described Boomers as “idealistic” and “competitive.” 

According to the DHRM report, historical influences on this generation included the Korean War, the Vietnam War, Watergate, the Civil Rights movement, the introduction of television, the rise of rock n’ roll and drugs. With these experiences, Boomers learned to question authority—or at least to navigate it in a way to benefit their own lives.

As for methods of communication, Whalen says Boomers are a mixed bag—comfortable enough to utilize everything from the telephone, to personal conversation, e-mail and even texting. 

While most Boomers are fluent with technology, Whalen says they tend to rely on younger co-workers to handle the finer details. For example, if e-mail goes down or they’re looking to change fonts on a document, they’ll ask for help rather than exploring solutions on their own.

 

Generation X

The DHRM presentation says that Generation X, the group of about 45 million Americans born between about 1964 and 1980, is “possibly the most misunderstood generation.” Indeed, it was named after algebra’s unknown variable, and it looks like no one knew quite what to expect from the Boomers’ children, also dubbed the “me generation.” 

A shift occurred, however, as Generation X started to take the reigns. A Time magazine cover story written June 6, 1997, says, “They were supposed to be slackers, cynics, drifters. But don’t be fooled by their famous pose of repose. Lately, more and more of them are prowling tirelessly for the better deal, hunting down opportunities that will free them from the career imprisonment that confined their parents….They are making waves on the Web, making movies in and out of Hollywood, making money, spending money. Slapped with the label Generation X, they’ve turned the tag into a badge of honor.”

Cultural influences for Generation X included Sesame Street, MTV, video games, PCs and a relatively short war experience in the first Persian Gulf War. There was a noted shift in family life for this group. The divorce rate tripled for their parents, and many grew up latch-key children, according to the DHRM presentation. 

In the workplace, Whalen says Gen Xers tend to be loyal to themselves, as opposed to authority or organizational fairness. The DHRM presentation described that loyalty to self in a slightly different way, saying they want to build a portable career, they are flexible and motivated and they want a sense of freedom by striking a balance between work and life. It also says Generation X is self-reliant and adaptive to change.

When it comes to methods of communication, Generation Xers prefer electronic communication—and they want it concise, according to Whalen. “They grew up in the world of sound bites, so they like their communication fast and brief,” says Whalen.

As for approach to technology, Whalen says, “This is the age in which technology was developed. They have learned how to maximize technology, and they can generate technological solutions.”

Generation Y/Millennials

The 76 million Americans born after 1980 comprise the group known as Generation Y or Millennials. According to the DHRM presentation, this is a cyber literate, globally conscious generation. 

Whalen adds that Gen Y differs from Gen X in that they tend to trust organizations and want to be loyal to the team because of the way they have been parented. “This is the coddled, over-parented generation,” says Whalen. “They are used to having all their needs met, so they have a respect for authority, but they absolutely expect the authority to be competent.” 

Cherrington says he has seen this trait in training programs he conducted for human resource managers recently. When polling attendees about responsibility and accountability issues, he says it was clear that younger workers (Millennials) see things like health care and workplace safety as rights—something the government or employers should provide—whereas older generations tend to see these as personal responsibilities.

Culturally, Gen Y has been impacted by global technology, the opportunity for personal expression through media like YouTube, the 9-11 tragedy, fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, and heightened awareness for natural disasters like Hurricane Katrina and the Indian Ocean tsunami.

When it comes to characteristics in the workplace, they are team-oriented workers who value diversity and want work to be meaningful, according to the DHRM report. 

Since they grew up immersed in technology, they prefer every form of electronic communication. And more than any other generation, Millennials are adept at multitasking, says Whalen, adding, “My own teenage daughter does homework while streaming “Grey’s Anatomy,” texting her friends and listening to her iPod.”

 

Closing the 

Generation Gaps

So now with a glimpse at generational differences, how do you bring your diverse group of employees together in the workplace? You do exactly that, according to Jeff Herring, DHRM executive director. 

Herring manages a staff of about 160 employees, while overseeing human resource services for the more than 20,000 people employed by the State of Utah. He has found success by combining workers from different generations into work groups. For example, he recently paired a Millennial with a Traditional to work on a data project. He says at first the older worker was a bit skeptical of the younger worker’s tattoos and earrings, but they both ended up enjoying the experience. “Our Traditional employee really got into being a mentor for this individual,” says Herring. “And on the other side of it, the Millennial worker was tech-savvy, and he was able to give some ‘a-ha moments’ to the older Traditional worker.”

Whalen agrees with this approach. “When you’re a company that’s building a product or service, your customers are across all ages, races, religious backgrounds and political affiliations,” she says. “You’re going to get a better result with a work group that can share its diversity of experiences and perspectives rather than a group that is narrowly focused.”

Educate, Tolerate 

and Celebrate

When bringing the generations together, it’s important to encourage understanding and avoid conflict by educating workers on generational differences. 

Rockwell Collins Inc., a global avionics and communications company headquartered in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, with operations in Salt Lake City, employs more than 20,000 people around the world. Nicholas Gibbs, senior director, visual systems, Rockwell Collins Services, oversees about 300 employees based in the company’s Salt Lake City offices. He says Rockwell Collins offers at least eight online courses related to intergenerational connections in the workplace. The courses carry titles such as, “Leading the Workforce Generations,” “Making Cross-Generational Teams Work,” “Leading Generations X and Next,” and more. 

“We believe in having a workforce that is not just tolerant, but actually celebrates the diversity of ages and culture,” says Gibbs.

If a company finds celebrating differences too lofty a goal, Whalen says companies should at least foster tolerance. “We don’t all have to agree, but we do need to recognize that everybody is not ‘just like me,’ and that’s OK. We also need to value the myriad of perspectives and ideas that you get with a diverse group.” 

Whalen also calls for balance when educating employees on generational differences. “Sometimes where some companies go wrong is focusing too much on the differences, as opposed to what we have in common. We can appeal to what matters to everybody,” she says. 

 

Focus on Performance, Not Approach

Older workers tend to be at their desk from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Younger workers might be just as productive without being “chained to their desks.” Traditionals might prefer a conference room gathering to address a quick issue. Gen X and Gen Y workers might prefer to solve the problem via conference calls or instant messaging. 

These differences are part of the reason, Gibbs says, Rockwell Collins has found success in managing different generations by focusing more on results than style. Rockwell Collins relies on two scales to evaluate and promote workers: how someone performs (ability to achieve results) and how well they interact with co-workers. “This way, our evaluation process is independent of a generational component.”

 

Strike a Chord

Whatever your employees’ differences and similarities may be, invest in the connection between managers and employees. Whalen explains, “Regardless of their generation, workers want to be able to trust their supervisor. The relationship between the employee and the supervisor is one of the most critical relationships that exist in a workplace.” 

Along with trust, Gibbs added that management’s respect for diversity is key. “To overcome obstacles of diversity and communicate well, it’s important for management to realize there’s not just one type of person who’s successful. There are many different kinds of people in many different kinds of groupings—whether that’s age, ethnic background or political affiliation—who can be successful.”

And communicate, communicate, communicate using a combination of methods to reach your multigenerational employees—meetings, memos, telephone, e-mail, texting and even social networking.

With this kind of understanding and approach, you can strike a beautiful chord with all of your employees, regardless of the kind of music they’ve got on their iPod playlist…or CD collection…or 8-tracks…or vinyls.  

 


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